Photographic type-composing machine

ABSTRACT

A high-speed photographic type-composing machine is disclosed. Light is projected from a source of illumination such as a cathode-ray tube, laser, or multiplicity of flashlamps through a plurality of light-directing means such as light channels to an arcuate projection zone which is formed by a portion of the curved surface of a rotatable character-carrier. The light channels may be movable in unison among a plurality of discrete positions relative to the arcuate projection zone. The characters are carried on filmstrips which are mounted on a rotatable drum by rigid holding means in the form of arcuate segments, and the characters continually pass through the projection zone, which is large enough to include a plurality of characters at any given time. Selected characters are projected from the zone to an image-receiving surface (such as a film) by an optical projection system which may include a field-flattening lens. Control circuitry is provided for storing and sorting selected characters such that these characters may be illuminated in a sequence which is dissimilar to their respective positions in the composed line. The control circuitry is adapted to achieve this result by varying the time at which any selected character is illuminated as it passes through the projection zone, and is further adapted to center lines on the film by delaying the projection of the first character of the line by a time interval which is dependent upon the selected point size. Also, the film may be incrementally moved by stepping motors in order to compensate for relative displacement between the film and characters if the charactertype style and/or point size is changed.

United Moyroud MACHINE [72] inventor: Louis M. Moyroud, 202 Grove Way,Del- I ray Beach, Fla. 33444 22 Filed: May 21,1969 21 App1.No.: 827,128

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No.629,300, Apr. 7,

1967, abandoned, Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 368,839, Pat. No.3,291,015, Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 441,738, Pat. No. 3,422,736,Continuationin-part of Ser. No. 506,936, Pat. No. 3,416,420,Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 617,912, Feb. 23, 1967, Pat. No.3,512,562.

[52] U.S.Cl ..95/4.5,350/96B 1 [51] lnt.C|. ..B4lb19/00,B41b19/06,B41b21/24 l [58] FieldotSearch ..95/4.5;350/96B [56]References Cited 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS l 3,134,090 5/1964 Blakely..95/4.'5 X I 3,188,929 6/1965 Higonnet et al.. ....95/4.5 1 3,291,01512/1966 Moyroud 95/45 3,416,420 12/1968 Moyroud... ...95/4.5 3,458,6557/1969 Thourson 95/4.5X 3,485,150 12/1969 Tortoriciet a1... ....95/4.53,496,847 2/1970 Levine ..95/4.5

PHOTOGRAPHIC TYPE-COMPOSING Assistant Examinr liobert E GreinerAttorney-William D. OReilly ABSTRACT A high-speed photographictype-composing machine is disclosed. Light is projected from a source ofillumination such as a cathode-ray tube, laser, or multiplicity offlashlamps through a plurality of light-directing means such as lightchannels to an arcuate projection zone which is formed by a portion ofthe curved surface of a rotatable character-carrier. The light channelsmay be movable in unison among a plurality of discrete positionsrelative to the arcuate projection zone. The characters are carried onfilmstrips which are mounted on a rotatable drum by. rigid holding meansin the form of arcuate segments, and the characters continually passthrough the projection zone, which is large enough to include aplurality of characters at any given time. Selected characters areprojected from the zone to an image-receiving surface (such as a film)by an optical projection system which may include a field-flatteninglens. Control circuitry is provided for storing and sorting selectedcharacters such that these characters may be illuminated in a sequencewhich is dissimilar to their respective positions in the composed line.The control circuitry is adapted to achieve this result by varying thetime at which any selected character is illuminated as it passes throughthe projection zone, and is further adapted to center lines on the filmby delaying the projection of the first character of the line by a timeinterval which is dependent upon the selected point size. Also, the filmmay be incremen- E tally moved by stepping motors in order to compensatefor relative displacement between the film and characters if thecharacter-type style and/or point size is changed.

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FIG. 33

INVENTOR LOUIS M. MOYROUD AGENT PAIENIED FEB 2 2 I972 SHEET 13 0F 19INVENTOR LOUIS M. momouo W014? AGENT TNB PAIENIEnrzazz I972 3.643 .559

sum 11 or 19 m zz IINVENTOR LOUIS M. MOYROUD AGENT PAIENTEDFEBZZIHR3.643.559

SHEET 180F 19 2] Ell 720 INVENTOR I LOUIS M. MOYROUD AGENT FIG. 45

1. A photographic type-composing machine comprising: a rotatablecharacter-carrier having a curved surface bearing master characters tobe projected, a surface for receiving projected images of said mastercharacters such that lines of composition may be composed on saidimage-receiving surface, an arcuate projection zone of sufficientlylarge dimensions to include at least two master characters at any giventime as said characters pass through said projection zone, an opticalprojection system for projecting an image of the arcuate projection zoneto said image-receiving surface, said optical projection systemincluding optical means adapted to project the arcuate projection zoneas if it were flat, so that an undistorted image of said zone may beproduced on the imagereceiving surface, means for illuminating any oneof the master characters while said character is in the projection zone,and control means to vary the time at which said illuminating means isenergized such that a selected character may be illuminated at any giventime as it passes through said projection zone, in order that theprojected images of said characters comprising a line of composition maybe spaced from one another according to their respective widths.
 2. Themachine of claim 1 in which said illuminating means includes ahigh-intensity light patch dimensioned to illuminate one mastercharacter at a time, said light patch being movable to differentpositions within said projection zone by the energization ofbeam-deflection circuits controlled by said control means.
 3. Themachine of claim 2, in which the illuminating means comprises a laserhaving associated beam-deflecting crystals controlled by said controlmeans.
 4. The machine of claim 2 in which said illuminating meanscomprises a CRT having a screen of high actinic value.
 5. The machine ofclaim 4 in which the CRT has more than one electron gun.
 6. The machineof claim 4 in which an optical fiber screen over the front of thecathode-ray tube screen transmits light from the cathode-ray tube screento the projection zone.
 7. The machine of claim 6 in which the opticalfibers are positioned relative to one another such that their ends whichare remote from the cathode-ray tube screen terminate at locations whichare equidistant from said arcuate projection zone.
 8. The machine ofclaim 4 in which a collimating lens is disposed adjacent to thecathode-ray tube screen, and a second lens is adapted to focus lightemerging from said collimating lens to a focal point of the opticalprojection system.
 9. The machine of claim 1 in which said illuminatingmeans have associated therewith means for directing light emanating fromsaid illuminating means to a plurality of discrete positions within saidarcuate projection zone.
 10. The machine of claim 9 in which: saidlight-directing means comprise a plurality of light channels, each ofsaid light channels having a first end adjacent to said illuminatingmeans for receiving light emanating therefrom, and a second end in closeassociation with the arcuate projection zone for directing lightemerging from each of said light channels to a discrete position withinsaid zone.
 11. The machine of claim 10 in which said plurality of lightchannels are positioned relative to one another in such a manner thatsaid second ends terminate at locations which are equidistant from saidarcuate projection zone.
 12. The machine of claim 9 in which saidlight-directing means is movabLe.
 13. The machine of claim 12 in which:said light-directing means comprise a plurality of light channels, eachof said light channels having a first end adjacent to said illuminatingmeans for receiving light emanating therefrom, and a second end in closeassociation with the arcuate projection zone for directing lightemerging from each of said light channels to a discrete position withinsaid zone.
 14. The machine of claim 13 in which each of said lightchannels is flexible.
 15. The machine of claim 13 in which said lightchannels are movable to a plurality of discrete positions relative tosaid projection zone.
 16. The machine of claim 15 in which said lightchannels are movable in unison.
 17. The machine of claim 16 in whichsaid light channels are movable in unison between at least two discretepositions relative to said arcuate projection zone.
 18. The machine ofclaim 16 in which said light channels are movable in unison among threediscrete positions relative to said arcuate projection zone.
 19. Themachine of claim 16 wherein said light channels are mounted on a movablesupport means.
 20. The machine of claim 9 in which said illuminatingmeans comprise a multiplicity of flashlamps.
 21. The machine of claim 10in which said light channels are fixed with respect to said arcuateprojection zone, and said illuminating means is adapted to transmitlight simultaneously through two adjacent light channels in order toproperly illuminate a selected character when said character overlapssaid discrete positions within the arcuate projection zone, the discretepositions being formed by light emanating from said two adjacent lightchannels at the time of projection of the selected character.
 22. Themachine of claim 1 in which: said optical projection system includes apoint size changing mechanism, and said control means include circuitmeans for centering the line to be composed on the axis of said opticalprojection system by delaying the projection of the first character ofthe line to be composed by a time interval which is dependent upon theselected point size of said point size changing mechanism.
 23. Themachine of claim 1 in which: said character-carrier includes a pluralityof character type styles, said control means includes means to shiftfrom one of said type styles to another, and means are adapted tovariably displace said image-receiving surface in conjunction with astyle shift in order to compensate for relative displacement whichoccurs between said image-receiving surface and characters which arebeing projected when a shift in style occurs, so that the characters ofa given line to be composed are projected along a common baseline ofsaid image-receiving surface.
 24. The machine of claim 1 in which: saidcharacter-carrier includes a plurality of character type styles, saidcontrol means includes means to shift from one of said type styles toanother, said optical projection system includes means for changing thepoint size of said characters, and means are adapted to variablydisplace said image-receiving surface in conjunction with a style shiftor point size change, in order to compensate for any relativedisplacement which may occur between said image-receiving surface andcharacters which are being projected when a shift in style occurs, whenthe point size is changed, or when a style shift and point size changeoccur simultaneously, so that the characters of a given line to becomposed are projected along a common baseline of said image-receivingsurface.
 25. The machine of claim 24 in which: said character-carrierhas coaxially arranged rings of character type styles which passsimultaneously through said projection zone, and said variabledisplacement means includes a leading mechanism for moving saidimage-receiving surface, said leading mechanism comprising separate fineand coarse stepping motors for driving a differential system, the Outputdrive of said differential system being adapted to move saidimage-receiving surface by relatively small increments.
 26. The machineof claim 1 in which: said illuminating means is positioned externally ofsaid character-carrier, said arcuate projection zone is formed by aportion of the curved surface of said character-carrier, and mastercharacter images are projected radially inwardly of the projection zoneonto means for reflecting the images along a common baseline of saidimage-receiving surface.
 27. The machine of claim 26 in which saidrotating character-carrier comprises a cylindrical drum, saidimage-receiving surface is a film, and said optical means for projectingsaid arcuate zone comprises a field-flattening lens.
 28. A photographictype-composing machine comprising: a rotatable character-carrier havinga curved surface bearing master characters to be projected, a surfacefor receiving projected images of said master characters such that linesof composition may be composed on said image-receiving surface, aprojection zone of sufficiently large dimensions to include at least anyone of said master characters at any given time as said characters passthrough said projection zone, an optical projection system forprojecting an image of the projection zone to said image-receivingsurface, means for illuminating any one of said master characters whilesaid character is in the projection zone, and control means to vary thetime at which said illuminating means is energized such that a selectedcharacter may be illuminated at any given time as it passes through saidprojection zone, said control means including: means for storing acomplete line of characters to be composed, prior to projecting thefirst character of said line, and means for sorting each of thecharacters of said stored line in accordance with its respectivelocation on said character-carrier relative to a predetermined referencepoint, and the accumulated widths of the preceding characters in theline to be composed, such that said characters may be illuminated in asequence which is dissimilar to their position in the composed line. 29.The machine of claim 28 in which said projection zone is arcuate, andthe control means operates such that a full line may be composed duringeach revolution of said character-carrier.
 30. The machine of claim 29in which: said arcuate projection zone is of sufficiently largedimensions to include at least two master characters at any given timeas said characters pass through said projection zone, and said opticalprojection means includes optical means adapted to project the arcuateprojection zone as if it were flat, so that an undistorted image of saidzone may be produced on the image-receiving surface.
 31. The machine ofclaim 30 wherein said rotating character-carrier consists of acylindrical drum, said image-receiving surface is a film, and saidoptical means for projecting said arcuate zone comprises afield-flattening lens.
 32. A photographic type-composing machinecomprising: a continuously moving character-carrier bearing mastercharacters to be projected, a surface for receiving projected images ofsaid master characters such that lines of composition may be composed onsaid image-receiving surface, a projection zone of sufficiently largedimensions to include at least any one of said master characters at anygiven time as said characters pass through said projection zone, anoptical projection system for projecting an image of the projection zoneto said image-receiving surface, means for illuminating any one of saidmaster characters while said character is in the projection zone, saidilluminating means having associated therewith means for directing lightemanating from said illumination means to a plurality of discretepositions within said projection zone, said light-directing meanscomprising a pluralitY of light channels, each of said light channelshaving a first end adjacent to said illuminating means for receivinglight emanating therefrom, and a second end in close association withsaid projection zone for directing light emerging from each of saidlight channels to a discrete position within said zone, and controlmeans to vary the time at which said illuminating means is energizedsuch that a selected character may be illuminated at any given time asit passes through said projection zone, said control means including:means for storing a complete line of characters to be composed, prior toprojecting the first character of said line, and means for sorting eachof the characters of said stored line in accordance with its respectivelocation on said character-carrier relative to a predetermined referencepoint, and the accumulated widths of the preceding characters in theline to be composed, such that said characters may be illuminated in asequence which is dissimilar to their position in the composed line.